Atomizers



ATOMIZERS Filed Dec. 22, 1959 FIG] 1 INVENTOR. JMEPH VR30u 1054/5 States My invention relates to a head for a vaporizing, atomizing and mist-forming apparatus adapted in particular for the atomization of perfumes, cosmetics and medicinal products.

Conventional atomizers consist of a tube the upper end of which forms a narrow port while its lower end dips into the liquid'to be atomized and a nozzle located near the upper end provides for the admission into the tube of a stream of air discharged from a rubber bulb. The stream of air produces a vacuum whereby the liquid is sucked up in the tube and is discharged from the port in fine droplets forming a mist.

It has already been proposed to eliminate the rubber bulb by resorting'to a container of deformable material for the liquid and to employ the air squeezed out of the container for atomization. 7

It was practically impossible hitherto to mass produce atomizers of this type, since it is diflicult manually to locate the tube in' which the liquid is raised in precise registry with the atomizing opening. For proper operation the distance between the output end of the liquid tube and the nozzle should be adjusted to a tolerance of less than one hundredth of a millimeter.

Furthermore, it is practically impossible to cut the tube in which the liquid it to rise in a plane which is exactly perpendicular to its axis and, lastly an extruded tube which virtually must be used for mass production cannot be made with suflicient accuracy and atomizers of the type described could heretofore only be made by hand.

The atomizer of my invention includes a closed con tainer of resiliently yieldable material provided with a nozzle held in such a position that its outlet port lies accurately at a predetermined distance from the opening of the container, while means are provided which allow the air to pass out of the container between the outlet port of the nozzle and the opening of the container and lead the liquid into the lower end of the nozzle.

I will now describe my invention in more detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows an axial cross-section of the atomizing head and a portion of the container, the remainder of the FIG. 3 shows a cross-section on the line III-IIIof FIG. 1.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the container 1 carries a head 2 provided with a channel terminating in a calibrated atomizing port 3. Inside the head channel are formed guiding fins 4 for the nozzle 5, said fins terminating at their lower ends in registry with a circumferential groove 6 formed in the interior wall of the head 2.

The nozzle includes a calibrated tube 7 integral with a lower supporting section 8 provided with two outer radial lugs 9, 9'.

On the supporting section 8 is slidingly fitted a tube 10 extending downwardly into the liquid in the container 1.

Obviously the supporting section 8 may be integral with the tube it). It is important, though, that the tube 7 be accurately calibrated which is readily possible in particular when the nozzle is made of metal.

Patented Dec. 26, 196i For positioning the nozzle 5, it is suflicient to introduce it into the head 2, until the lugs 9, 9' yieldingly engage the groove 6. The nozzle is then held fast inside the head 2 and the distance between the lower end of thehead and the output port of the nozzle is accurately fixed and may be predetermined as required for good atomization. When the nozzle reaches its position of engagement in the groove 6 its output port lies at the desired distance from the atomizing port.

The axial location of the nozzle inside the head is determined by the guiding fins 4 which ensure the coaxial lo cation of the tube '7 in the nozzle with reference to the calibrated port 3 in the head 2.

It will be readily understood that the atomizers, vaporizers and the like devices incorporating the arrangement described above will operate perfectly even when assembled by unskilled workmen.

Only a preferred embodiment of my invention has been described hereinabove by way of example and the invention is not to be limited thereto since numerous modifications may be made therein within the scope of the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1. An atomizer comprising, in combination, a container of yieldably resilient material formed with an opening; a tubular head member having an axis and two axially spaced end portions, one of said portions sealingly engaging said opening, the other end portion being formed with an atomizing port, said head member enclosing an axial cavity communicating with said opening and said port, and being formed with a radially extending recess communicating with said cavity; a tube member axially extending in said cavity and spaced from said head memher, said tube member projecting through said opening into said container, said tube member having an orifice in said cavity spacedly adjacent said port; and projection means radially extending from said tube member and engaging said recess for securingsaid tube member in a fixed axial position in said head member.

2. An atomizer as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of axially elongated rib means interposed between said members, each of said rib means being secured to one of said members and extending radially therefrom toward the other one of said members for securing said tube member in said cavity against transverse displacement, whereby said orifice of said tubemember is permanently aligned with said atomizing port.

3. An atomizer as set forth in claim 2, said rib means being secured to said head member and abuttingly engaging said tube member.

4. An atomizer as set forth in claim 1, wherein said recess is of annular shape about said axis, and said projection means includes two circumferentially spaced lug members.

5. An atomizer, comprising a container of yieldably resilient material formed with an opening; an elongated tubular head member having an axis, one end portion of said head member sealingly communicating with said opening and the other end portion freely extending from said container and being formed with an axial atomizing port; said head member being formed with an axially extending cavity connecting said opening and said port, and with a circumferential groove in said cavity; a tube member in said cavity and coaxially spaced therein from said head member, said tube member having an axial orifice in said cavity axially aligned with and spacedly adjacent said port, said tube member extending from said cavity into said container; a plurality of radial projections circumferentially spaced on said tube member and resiliently engaging said groove for securing said tube in a fixed axial position; and a plurality of axially elongated ribs on said head member, said ribs being circumferen- 3 tially spaced in said cavity and radially abutting against said tube member for holding the same in coaxial alignment with said head member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 Lohse Mar. 17, 1936 Ryberg et a1 Nov. 6, 1951 Benoit et a1. Mar. 23, 1954 McKinnon June 18, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Feb. 24, 1942 Great Britain July 16, 1943 

